Pumpkin Sunrise

  My weekend contained: -daily walks and gathering leaves - stay at home weekend - phone calls with family - knitting gnomes (the photo below is number seven!) - lots of reading - visiting my neighbor discussing Holiday plans and gifts for family - enjoying the BIRDS at my bird feeder - seeing a red breasted nuthatch at my feeder first time ever - getting excited for an upcoming museum visit this week - writing out my weekly plans and lofty goals! - hearing S N O W in the forecast (yay) - getting all the laundry and cleaning done in one day How was your weekend?

  How are you?  I've been mighty fine these days. The knitting frenzy continues as I am working on the sixth gnome! I am getting more crazy with the color combinations and chipping away at some half skeins that I know I will never use again. The gnome journey has been so much fun! The above photo is the scarf that I am making for me that I haven't worked on since gnome number two or three. I'm working on it today, it's a lovely pattern that is fun to work on. After a brief warm up in the temperatures, we are getting back to chilly air. A cold front blew through and the winds knocked down so many tree leaves in the neighborhood. Delightful! Frodo and I love to see the fallen leaves all mixed up on neighborhood properties. We have our fair share of leaves mixed together in our front yard. After a summer on NOT feeding the birds because of a raccoon family, we are back at it. The birds came right back! Hopefully the raccoons do not. My bird feeder is squirrel proof but no

  I am half way done with my gnome making! I want to make eight total and I started number FIVE two days ago. The pattern calls for two strands of fingering so I substituted worsted weight on size five double pointed needles. What I am enjoying the most is blitzing through half skeins of worsted weight wool that I've saved from previous projects along with color coordinating my gnomes.  (In the background are two pilgrims that my sister made for me a few years ago). What are you working on this week?

  It seems that I get sidetracked in many ways. Above is a delightful array of mini-skeins of lolodit sock yarn and a skein of tough love sock by sweet georgia yarn that will be a good things scarf  I've been blissfully thinking of all the combinations I can do with what I have in my stash. The possibilities are endless.  So while I knit and mull over this multi-yarn scarf design. I am knitting up many gnomes. I'll be posting a photo soon, they are Christmas gifts and I need to think through who sees what. I believe I can post here with minimal viewings by my family. I've been sketching daily in October except for the last two days which were 'busy'. So now I am three days behind that I'll catch up over the weekend, hopefully.  The weather has been glorious this week. Lots and lots of blue skies, the air is crisp and the mornings are cold. Not only that but a cold front is coming through. yay! October has been inspirational for my creativity and my motivations

  Two weekends ago, yet it feels like last weekend, I went on a crazy knitting frenzy and whipped up TWO hats and TWO pairs of mitts. The bear hat  and mitts are for our grandson for Christmas. I never get tired of knitting this pattern, I've made it many times. For my grandnephew I made a car hat and mitts . He is going to be two years old in January and he loves everything that is cars and trucks. Let's see if he will wear a 'car' themed hat even though he hates hats! You never know with toddlers. What are you knitting this week?

  The last day of September! This month went fast for me and with the fastness came lovely cooler weather that seems to be endless in the forecast every morning when I check on it. My husband is sad that summer is over and keeps hoping for a mini heat wave, not me at all. Being cold is where I want to be! I've been furiously knitting Christmas presents that I will share next week with you in detail. On a whim I cast on something for myself but now I'm rethinking the yarn and the colors I chose for the project. So until I figure out exactly what I am doing that little project is on a temporary hold. I've been sketching daily, well I'm trying to sketch daily. I feel rusty and the only way to 'unrust' my skills is to practice every single day. I have all the pencils right by my side along with my sketchbook so there's no excuse for me. Frodo and I have been thoroughly enjoying our daily walks in the neighborhood. Each time I'm outside I make a mental note o

  Finally!  I finished this sweater that felt like it was on the needles forever. My sister gave me the yarn from someone who gave it to her from someone's stash. As you can see from the three skeins, one skein had less color variation and wasn't it lucky that I started the sweater with the odd skein first? (The universe was smiling upon me!). I've made this sweater before , and decided to drop down one size because I was a little short on yardage. Also the first sweater was roomy enough to make that decision on the second sweater. I did not run out of yarn and even had several yards left over. Now all I need is some freezing cold weather to wear it! What are you working on this week?

  Maybe, just maybe I have regained my energy levels after the trip to Cambridge MA last weekend. I've been knitting furiously both Saturday and Sunday thoroughly enjoying a burst of creative energy from the cold weather we are having and will continue to have this week. Saturday morning I wore wool on my walk, first time of the season!  Holly have been a little devil over the weekend. She keeps sneaking up on Frodo. Most of the time he is asleep but she thinks it's great fun! She is living her best life. Frodo is too.  I started knitting Christmas gifts for my grandson and my grand nephew. Almost done!! My weekend contained: -homemade chicken noodle soup - lunch out with my dad and step mom - daily walks with Frodo in the chilly air - lots of reading - lots of knitting - a phone call from our son - watching PBS.org 'the US and the Holocaust' documentary by Ken Burns (highly recommend!) - four loads of laundry - a squeaky clean kitchen floor - apple cake -  How was your

  Good morning! I hope you've had a fabulous week. My week was perfection, I spent each day catching up on all those tasks that were set aside for traveling. I'm currently sitting in my kitchen drinking my last cup of morning coffee before the day officially begins. The weather is deliciously cold (gah!). Yesterday was windy which turned warm air into autumnal breezes. The week's forecast is going to be cold, finally. We had lunch outside on the patio probably for the last time earlier this week. Well, at least I had my last lunch, my husband might just sit out there in the cold clinging onto the dregs of summer living. He is so sad that autumn has arrived. I am not, I've been daydreaming of sweater wearing weather for about six weeks.  Yesterday I focused on knitting and finishing the sweater , all day long and as you can see by the above photo it is drying after a little bit of soaking and mild blocking. My husband thinks Holly will sit on it, I do not. Who would wan

  I am so excited that I'm on my second sleeve and over half way on that second sleeve. I had grand plans to finish this sweater on my weekend trip to Cambridge MA but that was lofty and impractical. I've been asked if I knit in the car, the answer is YES but I frequently zone out and daydream or take in the scenery. More often than not, I tell my husband how to drive which annoys him to no end. I have lofty goals of having this sweater finished by next Wednesday but I know that I am sporadic in my knitting attention these days. Please send all the good finishing vibes if you can. Below is a photo of the two skeins of yarn I purchased at Mind's Eye Yarns  in Cambridge MA and so close to our hotel that we stayed at. I'm thinking his and her matching pair of socks. What a sweet little store that was jammed packed with yarn. I was in heaven. What are you working on this week?

  Just look at that glorious sleeve, so so close to the end. By this evening, I will be picking up the next sleeve and carrying on with getting this sweater finished and blocked in time for the crisp fall season. Speaking of cooler air, yesterday was gorgeous, I wore a long sleeve shirt for the first time since the spring and felt cold.  The first sock is almost done! I love this color and after nearly a week of knitting these socks in front of my husband (which are for my husband) he asked if they were for him. So now the surprise socks are not some much a surprise anymore. What are you working on this week?

  Hello!  Once again, here we are sharing our projects. This week I've been working on the first sleeve of my blue sweater and loving the speed of a sleeve compared to the body shaping. I might be half way done.  I am half way done on the first sock for my husband who doesn't know these are for him and yet I knit in front of him. He will be super excited to receive them since green is his favorite color. The pattern is memorized and I added four rows of knit two purl two and then four rows of stockinette stitch just so I can easily make the socks matching without measuring. What are you working on this week?

  Ah. September, how I enjoy you and welcome you in. I'm not a fan of summer but I try my best to enjoy what I do like about it. One of the best things about summer is that it leads to fall. And I am ready! My super early morning walks with Frodo are chilly most of the time. School is back in session and I wave to the school kids as they drive by in the yellow school bus. This weekend will be in the high 80s and I just don't care, I know it's the last hurrah even if it takes until October. This week has been so nice. I am thrilled that so far (fingers crossed) my husband  and I continue to remain healthy. May it continue. After the massive catch up from being out of town unexpectedly, I've settled into a comforting knitting routine. I've got some ideas for holiday knitting but I'm still sticking with my selfish 'for me' knitting this month. I will ponder the gift giving knitting only. September inspires me to reflect on the remaining tasks around the hou

  I'm happy to report that my knitting enthusiasm has been slowly increasing after all the travels last week. More importantly, my husband and I continue to be healthy. This sweater is so close the the body edging! I believe there's less than an inch to go. After the body, I will be on the sleeves which I love to knit because they are speedy. It's all downhill from there my friends. What have you been working on this week? Can you believe it's the end of August??

  Good morning! How was your weekend? Mine was boring and you know how I love the simple everyday comings and goings of ordinary living. I pulled out my watercolor paints because Kat  and my sister have both been painting up a storm. It was nice to get back into dabbling. Thanks for the inspiration you two! Saturday I started a blanket with 'vintage' wool and on Sunday I ripped it all out. It was TOO rustic for my taste. I was hoping the drape of the fabric would win out but the scratchiness was just unforgiving. My husband's sock is coming along and I've put many more rows on my blue sweater. On Sunday was had a fantastic rainstorm with thundering. All the plants got watered for free.

  Good morning to you! How has your week been? Are you soaking up the last bits of summer? I have been very excited this week for many reasons. My knitting has been good, I'm enjoying my projects and that sock yarn in the above photo is soft in my hands. I keep forgetting to mention the bag in the photo was made by my sister many years ago. It's my go to sock project bag because CATS. My big news this week is the photo above. Look at that dogwood tree changing colors. Autumn is creeping in and I'm all here for it. Also that deer is a bold one, she stands and waits until I'm practically right up to her before it snorts and runs away. Frodo would love to chase her! The flowering apple trees in the backyard are dropping leaves as well.  On my daily walks, I focus on my five senses (a mindfulness technique) and now I have an added goal - seeking out signs of fall. The crisp air is delicious and being chilly is so nice.  For Mother's Day this year my sister gifted me a b

 I did it! I finished my grandson's Christmas stocking, well, almost finished. I have yet to duplicate stitch his name on the top which is always a challenge for me. My duplicate stitching skills are not that great. For some reason, this red skein of yarn ran very short of yarn so the white toe has more white than usual. What matters is that the socking can still be stuffed with many little presents. Ravelry notes What are you working on this week?